Attachment for printing-presses.



E.H.SALE.

ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 23, 1913.

1,095,033, Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

16 g 20 g 6 ZUJZzas 5 66 12 fiz z/enzar' %W Zdman dflaak PATENT orrron.

EDMUND HEWETT SALE, OF OI-IATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filedOctober 23, 1913. Serial No. 796,920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND I-Inwnrr SALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented new and I useful Improvements in Attachments for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to attachments for printing presses, and it proposes, briefly, an improved device which isdesigned to be locked in a form of type for the purpose of producing an imprint therefrom simultaneously with the type.

The device is of that general class or character in which the periodic depression of a plunger or the like is utilized to effect the movement of a rotatable printing element, whereby the latter is operated to print a series of impressions arranged in a predetermined consecutive order, and to automatically and continually repeat the series during the time that the press is running.

The improvements wherein the invention primarily resides relate to the means employed for guiding and controlling the movements of the plunger oranalogous operating element, and for transmitting such move ments to the printing element to produce the desired rotation thereof, specifically as pointed out in the appended claim.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the attachment; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an end elevation with parts broken away and in section; and Fig. i is a vertical section on line 14:, Fig. 2.

In said drawing, 5 indicates, generally, the case of the device, 6 the operating element, and 7 the printing element. The case 5 is in the main of conventional construction and is provided at one end with a pocket 8 wherein the operating element works, the latter, as originally stated, being preferably in the nature of a plunger which is normally held in raised position by the action of a controlling spring 9. This spring is like-v wise disposed within the pocket 8 and encircles the stem of the plunger.

To guide the plunger during its movements and, also, to limit the extent thereof, means are provided which are here shown as embodying a pair of short, depending rods 10 secured to the head of the plunger and working in open-ended passages 11 formed through the case. The lower portions of these rods are cut awa to produce vertical slots or seats 12, whici receive therein the laterally-bent ends 18 of a yoke-shaped pin lei fastened in the end of the case in any desired manner, the arrangementbeing such, therefore, that the length of the aforementioned slots determines the extent of movement of the rods and, consequently, the plunger, in both directions.

The printing element 7 is operated from the plunger, as hereinafter described, and is preferably constituted by a body of polygonal cross-sectional shape, the number of its faces varying in accordance with the character of the impressions to be made. In the presence instance, the said element is in the form of a hexagonal prism and is mounted upon a horizontal shaft 15 suitably journaled in the case, its faces bearing upon them in type, the words Original, Duplicate, etc., so that the first sheet upon which the device operates will be stamped Original; the second Duplicate, and so on,.according to the number of sheets in a set. The matter printed, however, is purely arbitrary, as will be understood, as it may consist of words, marks and the like of an entirely different character.

As is common in devices of this character, the rotation of the printing element is controlled by the movement of the plunger, and these two elements are, accordingly, so connected that the former is turned one step during each movement of the plunger in one direction. The connection in question is here shown as comprising a ratchet 16 which is fast upon the end of shaft 15 adjacent the plunger, the number of teeth of said ratchet being exactly equal to the number of printing faces on the printing element. This ratchet is driven by an upstanding pawl 17 that is held in engagement with the teeth thereof by a spring 18 and is mounted upon one endof a pivoted rocker bar 19 which, in turn, is affixed to the partition wall 20 of the case, the other end of said rocker being connected by a link 21 with a depending finger 22 provided on the plunger head. The ratchet is also engaged by a check pawl 23 which is likewise pivoted to the partition 20 and is controlled by a spring 24.

In operation, the device is looked in the form with that face of the printing element uppermost bearing the word Original or other word, mark or symbol from which the first of the series of impressions is to be made. When the platen or other impression element, (not shown), of the press descends, an imprint will be taken both from the type and from the said uppermost face of the printing element, while, at the same time, the plunger will be depressed. During such depression, the rocker will be turned in a clockwise direction, Fig. 1, with the result that the driving pawl 17 Will ride upward along the periphery of the ratchet until it engages the next higher tooth, the descent of the plunger being limited by the contact of the upper end walls of the slots or seats 12 in its guides 10 with the terminals of the stop pin 13. When the platen subsequently rises, the plunger will be caused to ascend automatically, under the action of its spring 9, whereupon the rocker will be turned counter-clockwise, and the then descending pawl 17 will-turn the said ratchet one tooth length in the same direction, thus bringing the next face in order on the printing element into printing position. This latter movement of the platen will be terminated by the contact of the terminals of the stop pin with the lower end walls of the slots or riphery of the ratchet at seats 17, the check pawl 23 engaging the peall times. In this way, the sheets of each set will be successively printed with the proper marks thereon without necessitating opening of the form to change the type, and in consequence the gathering of the printed sheets into sets at the conclusion of the printing operation is obviated, since the sheets are already marked in the correct order, the repeating taking place at the proper intervals.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for As an example, the printing of railroad bills of lading may be mentioned. These bills, as understood, are printed in triplicate, and, therefore, the first and fourth faces of the printing element will bear the Word Original thereon, the second and fifth will bear the word Duplicate, and the third and sixth faces will bear the word Triplicate, the set of these words being thus repeatedly printed at regular intervals.

Having described my invention, I claim A printing device of the character specified comprising, in combination, a case provided with a guide opening; a rotatable printing element having a plurality of printing faces, and a depressible plunger mounted in said case, said plunger having a depending'finger; a ratchet fast on one end of said printing element and having the number of its teeth equal to the number of such printing faces; a rocker bar pivotally mounted in said case; a pawl pivoted to one end of said bar for engagement with said ratchet; a vertically-arranged link connecting said finger and the other end of said bar; a depending rod carried by said plunger and working in said guide opening, said rod being provided with a longitudinal seat; and a stop pin extending into said seat for contact with the end walls thereof, to limit the movement of the plunger.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK F. Hoornn, J OHN S. FLETCHER. 

